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Filed under: Company News, Economy, Investing, Apple, Stock Picks, Stocks in the News, Market News, Investment

It looks like Apple (AAPL) stock is one of the places skittish investors are moving money ahead of a potential U.S. debt default -- at least based on its share price. And that share price is based on fundamentals that should shield Apple from the impact of a default.

Apple's shares have risen 2% in the last week as the S&P has lost nearly 3% of its value. The spread between the stock and the index has been as wide as 5% over the last five days.

In some ways, Apple stock is an unlikely...

Are Default-Wary Investors Fleeing to Apple for Safety? originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-28T10:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Economy

As part of our Ask the Expert series, we checked in with Brian Hamilton, CEO of Sageworks, which provides financial data on private companies, for a refreshingly candid take on what's happening, what isn't, and why in the jobs market. He thinks small business owners, responsible for the lion's share of hiring, just want to be left alone. He makes the case to DailyFinance in this video:

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Ask the Expert Talks Jobs: Small Business Owners Say 'Leave Us Alone' originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-28T10:00:00Z.

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Filed under: American Express, Credit, Credit Cards

CardHub.com recently released its Prepaid Cards Report, which put five of the most well-known prepaid card issuers under the microscope, evaluating Green Dot, NetSpend, AccountNow, American Express (AXP) and Capital One (COF) on how useful their products are based on fees and features.

The report looked at a couple of scenarios. In the first, a customer uses their prepaid card as an alternative to a checking account -- he receives a monthly paycheck of $2,000 and goes to the ATM once a week --...

Prepaid Cards: The Best, The Worst, and When They're Worth the Fees originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-28T09:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Retail, Saving Money

One month of discounted parking, 50% off a local restaurant, and six sessions of laser hair removal for $45. What do these things have in common? They're unused daily deals with looming expiration dates.

More than 450 discount-offer websites and services have sprung up since 2008, and their demographic targets are getting narrower and narrower: moms, active singles, gay professionals. You name the group, there's a daily-deal site out there that is churning out coupons for them faster than...

Don't Let Groupons Go to Waste: Secondary Websites Do a Brisk Resale Business originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-28T08:00:00Z.

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Filed under: AT&T, Verizon, Video, Consumer Ally, Crime, Personal Finance

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Senate have all taken aim at "cramming," a multibillion dollar industry that cheats phone customers by adding bogus fees to their bills. But the groundwork for this massive swindle -- which affects an estimated 17% of all households -- began with the much-ballyhooed breakup of AT&T (T). Now, almost 30 years after the Justice Department unwittingly opened the floodgates to a tidal wave of fraudsters,...

How the Justice Department Helped Birth a Multibillion Dollar Phone Scam originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-28T06:30:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Investing, Retail, Investment

It looks like consumers really needed Under Armour's (UA) sweat-wicking apparel, judging by the company's recently reported results. But investors who own shares still might feel the need to sweat the results.

Under Armour blew past analysts' sales estimates for the quarter, reporting revenue of $291.3 million versus the consensus of $273.4 million. That translated into a 77% surge in net income to $6.2 million, or $0.12 per share. Analysts had expected $0.08 per share.

Even better, the...

Under Armour Investors Sweat the Small Stuff originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T16:15:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Technology, Economy, IBM, Google , Apple, Careers, eBay

Earlier this year, Google (GOOG) made a huge splash when it announced plans to embark on its biggest hiring binge in its short history. Also hiring are other tech giants such as Apple (AAPL), IBM (IBM) and eBay (EBAY).

That's good news for the flailing U.S. jobs market, right?

Not exactly.

Help Wanted: Just Not Here

Unfortunately, the ability of these large firms to affect the jobs market in the U.S. will likely be minimal. That's because many of the positions being created are for openings...

Big Tech's Hiring Binge Has Small Impact on Jobs originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T16:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Investing, Netflix, Investing Basics, Streetwise, Investment

Financial shenanigans cost shareholders billions of dollars. This is part of an ongoing series about how to spot Wall Street wrongdoing before it puts your portfolio in jeopardy. See "Is There an Enron Sitting In Your Portfolio?" and "4 Signs a Company Is Fudging Its Quarterly Results" for more.)

Cash is king. And unlike accounting inventions like "earnings per share" and "EBITDA," cash is tangible, fungible, and, heck, certain currencies are even smoke-able, I'm told.

Focusing on cash flow...

How Companies Fake It (With Cash Flow) originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T15:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Earnings, Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, Pepsico, Hershey, McDonald's, Taxes, Food

In these times of fiscal austerity, makers of unhealthy foods are a tempting target for taxation. Activists have long targeted companies like McDonald's (MCD), which just yesterday revealed plans to make over the ubiquitous Happy Meal by adding a fruit or vegetable and reducing the amount of fries.

But trimming portions and adding healthier fare to a fast-food chain's menu aren't enough to substantially curb obesity, which costs society about $147 billion a year in medical costs, according to...

Why Investors Should Fear Soda Taxes originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T13:30:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Expedia, Stock Picks, Stocks in the News, Market News

According to market research firm PhoCusWright's Global Online Travel Overview Second Edition report, by the end of 2012, one-third of the world's travel sales will be booked online. While leisure travel bookings on the Web are growing twice as fast as the travel industry in general, the majority of travel bookings still happen offline -- mostly through the traditional brick-and-mortar travel agents.

This is exactly what Expedia (EXPE) is targeting through its Travel Agent Affiliate Program,...

Expedia's Partnership with Travel Agents Adds New Growth Driver originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T12:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Honda Motor Co, Ford Motor Co, Toyota, General Motors, Autos, Consumer Ally

Anyone who has shopped for a used car recently knows that this market is white-hot. Good late-model used cars and trucks are in high demand.

Take, for example, the recently published list of best pre-owned cars for the money from Web2carz.com which included two Toyotas, a made-by-Toyota Lexus, a Honda, a Mazda, and one token non-Japanese vehicle: A big Ford (F) truck. (See "How to Find the Best Used Cars for Under $10,000" for more details.)

Its recommendations aren't surprising. Japanese...

The Best Used Car Deals are Made in the USA originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T11:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Stock Picks, Insurance, MetLife, Market News

In order to avoid new federal rules and heightened scrutiny from the Federal Reserve and other regulators as a "systemically important financial institution," MetLife has decided to sell its banking unit. MetLife (MET) is the largest life insurer in the U.S., and joins competitors AIG (AIG), Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG) and Allstate Corporation in selling off banking operations to escape from added restrictions.

We have a price estimate of $49 on MetLife's stock, implying a premium...

MetLife Sells its Banking Unit to Avoid Strict New Fed Regulations originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T11:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Debt

Getting into debt is easy. It's getting out of debt that's the tricky part.

Unfortunately, many people who would like to eliminate their debt shoot themselves in the foot by making bone-headed mistakes that actually compound their debt problems.

Here are the four dumbest things you can do if you're already deep in debt:

1. Keep spending recklessly.

You'd be surprised at the number of people with credit card bills up to their eyeballs who nevertheless keep on spending carelessly. Some are...

Dumbest Things to Do If You're Deep in Debt originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T10:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Economy

There is emerging evidence that the Treasury Department may have money to pay U.S. obligations beyond an August 2 deadline -- the date on which a default has been expected to occur. Ward McCarthy, an economist at Jefferies & Co, recently said the government has enough money to make normal payments until August 15. The New York Times puts that deadline at August 10.

Yes, we're only talking about a week or two, but the troubles that the "soft date" creates runs among the debates about the...

Does U.S. Have Enough Cash to Survive August 2 Deadline? originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T07:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Retirement, Real Estate, Saving Money

I moved to Winchester, Va., in 2006 and fell in love with the area, especially the Civil War battlefield of the Third Battle of Winchester. Not that I'm a huge history buff -- I simply became entranced with the beauty of the city.

It was on the trails of that battlefield that I trained for my first half marathon. I remember one particular run on a crisp fall morning, when the sun lit up the start of the trail, which cut through waist-deep golden grasses over an area of flat land. It's the...

AARP Names the 10 Best Places to Retire Affordably and Happily in America originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-27T06:30:00Z.

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The Department of Justice is preparing a lawsuit against Wells Fargo, the nation's largest home mortgage lender, for allegedly preying upon African American borrowers during the housing bubble and steering them into high-cost subprime loans, according to three people with direct knowledge of the probe.

The company, the fourth-largest U.S. bank by assets, is currently embroiled in pre-lawsuit negotiations with the Justice Department in hopes it will settle the accusations and avoid a...

Wells Fargo Faces Discriminatory Lending Suit originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-26T21:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Netflix, Time Warner, Amazon.com

It's been a rough day for Netflix (NFLX). Shares of the movie provider opened nearly 10% lower today after it disappointed investors with last night's quarterly report.

The numbers seem impressive on the surface. Netflix closed out the quarter with 25.6 million North American subscribers, 70% ahead of the number of couch potatoes it was servicing a year earlier. Earnings soared 58% to $1.26 a share, well ahead of the $1.11 a share that analysts were expecting.

Customers who have been...

5 Things That Went Wrong at Netflix originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-26T17:15:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Earnings, Honda Motor Co, Ford Motor Co, Toyota, General Motors, Autos, Market News

Ford's (F) dramatic turnaround has captured the attention of investors and car buyers alike. Having raised a do-or-die war chest by mortgaging everything it could back in 2006, Ford rode out the economic crisis without government assistance -- and proceeded to return to solid profitability with a slew of impressive new products.

The cars and trucks in Ford's current line are among the best ever produced by an American automaker, with many comparing favorably to Toyotas (TM) and Hondas (HMC),...

Ford Posts Solid Profits at a Tough Moment originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-26T17:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Retirement, Media, News Corp, Family Money, Personal Finance, Saving Money

So it seems two out of five of men wouldn't mind sitting down with Warren Buffett and listening as the avuncular Oracle of Omaha dispenses bon mots like, "Whether we're talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down."

That's according to AskMen, a division of News Corp's (NWS) IGN Entertainment that advertises itself as "the leading men's lifestyle website." On Tuesday, AskMen unveiled the results of its Fourth Annual Great Male Survey. To complement...

Men and Women on Money: Dual Surveys Reveal Surprising Differences originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-26T17:00:00Z.

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Filed under: Company News, Technology, Netflix, Wal-Mart Stores

Thanks for your movie purchase. Would you like to add a new TV to your shopping cart?

Don't be surprised if you get such a prompt the next time you're shopping on Wal-Mart's (WMT) website.

Today, the retail giant launched a streaming video rental service on its site in a move designed to beef up its online one-stop-shopping strategy. The availability of online movie rentals is another way to leverage the sale of its Internet-ready high-definition TVs, Blu-ray disc players and PlayStation 3...

Walmart.com Adds Streaming Video Rentals originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2011-07-26T16:30:00Z.

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